Why make an app using a template?
Templates have been around for some time now. Templates refer to a pre-existing structure that can help you reduce the time for app creation.
When it comes to mobile applications, templates can reduce the hassle and time to market for developing apps.
A few years ago, businesses mainly used templates for WordPress content and website designing.
However, with the advent of smart mobile devices, the times have since changed. Users can notice a major spike in the number of new apps across the App Store or Google Play Store year after year.
Today, apps have become the primary business for a majority of startups. On the other hand, skilled developers are every day more difficult to find, and app development costs are increasing pretty fast.
Therefore, there is a growing need for cheaper and faster development processes that do not compromise on the quality of the finished program. This is where app templates have proven their worth.
Want to know how app templates can benefit you? Continue reading…
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Why using app templates is important?
Many people claim, and developers often concur, that app development is often a repetitive process.
This is even more true for most startups that are looking to duplicate the success of a competing brand by launching an application with similar functionality.
Whether it is an Uber-like app or a Facebook-like app, most such programs use similar lines of code.
Several features are repetitive, and there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Here are some examples of features:
- Sign-In
- Sing-Up
- Reset Password
- User Class
- Installation Class
- Role Class
The examples above are only a small portion of features that are repetitive and you can avoid using an app template.
This is also true to some extent for apps that are not clones of each other. Certain aspects of every app remain the same, regardless of its overall functionality or use.
For app development, templates are existing source codes that are vital in guaranteeing a headstart to you.
Search for app templates
You will be able to find useful templates on the link below:
Benefits of app templates
Suppose your company is planning to launch an app like Instagram. Without the use of templates, you would need to write the code from scratch.
This is a lengthy process that involves countless hours from your frontend and backend developers. However, when utilizing app templates, you can expect the following advantages.
Saves cost
Since the UI already exists in the template, you do not need to assign a sizable amount of money on the development of the frontend.
This is one of the most expensive portions of app development, where companies spend thousands of dollars.
While you may think that designing a feature is from scratch is the better option, from a business perspective, making such a move when a template is available, makes no sense.
Templates allow you to save costs on the backend side, as well. Several templates connect automatically to BaaS – Backend as a Service platforms like Back4App and simplify drastically the deployment of a new app.
Using a template will allow you to have all the common features from an app and focus the development on the unique features your app adds value.
Quicker time to market
Opting for a template can end up saving you months of development time. Therefore, not only is template use helping you reduce the budget, but it also allows you to push the finished program to the market, engaging consumers, and reaping profits sooner.
Try and fail as fast a possible! This mantra is extremely important for startups, and templates will help you to validate your product much faster.
Reduce the team size
With templates, you do not need to hire a large number of team members to develop the application. Startups in their early stages can save a considerable amount of hassle by utilizing a hybrid development model for both Android and iOS devices.
Apart from following the hybrid model, you can choose an off-the-shelf template to aid in the development while keeping your team size limited.
Bug-free development
The first draft during development is always fraught with several bugs and malfunctions. Developers then need to go through each of these bugs and determine the cause for the improper functioning before they can eradicate the bugs.
This lengthy process takes time and immense effort. When you have a template available, most of the coding is already free from bugs or other issues.
Therefore, you can save time, produce bug-free apps while also lowering the overall budget for the application.
Disadvantages of using application templates
While the above-listed points help you understand the pros of app templates, developers must also understand the limitations of such a program.
No complete match
Since each app has differing requirements and features, no template fits your app vision perfectly. You need to customize and modify the available code to match your needs.
Even after taking such customization into account, templates will still save your time and money during development.
Additional work needed before the App Store release
Developers often believe that releasing their application is as simple as purchasing the app template and uploading in across the App Store or Google Play Store.
However, this is rarely the case. Instead, developers need to modify the template, work on the general app, add unique features, and adjust the template for specific market needs. This can be a hectic process for non-technical founders of the startup.
What are the largest template marketplaces?
The two largest marketplaces are CodeCanyon and Themeforest.
